Machine for coiling strips



E. W. MIKAELSON MACHINE FOR COILING STRIPS Filed Aug. 16, 1932 2Sheets-Sheetl May l, 1934- E. wl MIKAELsoN 1,956,906

MACHINE FOR COILING STRIPS Filed Agg. 16, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented'May l, i934 UETED STATES PATENT FFIC Treadwell Engineering Company,Easton, Pa., a

corporation of Pennsylvania Application August 16, 1932, Serial No.629,079

Claims.

The present invention relates to fluid operated actuating or adjustingmechanisms of general utility inthe industrial arts but particularlyadapted for use in connection with strip coiling 5 machines.

Many machines or instrumentalities now in use have one or more operatingparts, the positions of which must be adjusted from time to time infacilitating or controlling the operations thereof.

n@ While it is possible to effect such adjustments manually in mostinstances, it is the tendency for machine designers and buildersv tosupply power operated devices or servo mechanisms by means of which theoperator may effect the necessary adjustments or changes of position ofa movable part by throwing a switch or turning a valve.

Various fluid operated mechanismsiof this 'type have been heretoforedesigned or suggested and have proven popular in actual use, such, forinstance, as the combination with a part to be actuated or adjusted of apressure cylinder with a reciprocable piston therein, to which such partis connected by a piston rod. Devices of this kind, while entirelysatisfactory for the purpose of moving an element from one extremeposition to another, have not proven so satisfactory in those instanceswhere it is necessary or desirable to move the operated element into oneof three or more different positions, thus calling for intermediatepositioning of the piston in the cylinder. While it has previously beensuggested that mechanical means may be adopted for locking the pistonrod in various predetermined positions or for locking the piston againstmovement by blocking the fluid connections leading to the ends of thecylinder, devices of this character-have, for one reason or another, notcome into popular use.

In accordance with the present invention, a fluid pressure mechanism isprovided by means of which a mechanical element may be moved into anyone of three or more positions, including one or more intermediatepositions, and very definitely and accurately held in such intermediateposition at the will of the operator and without danger of accidentalmovement or creeping. The invention may have various embodiments and maybe applied to many dierent types of machines. By way of example, oneform of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings andwill be hereinafter described in detail, the invention being shown asincorporated in a machine for coiling strips, with which 55 it is foundto be especially useful. Obviously,

however, in adapting the invention to other types of machines, thedesign and arrangement of its component elements may be considerablymodified.

In the drawings:

Figures 1, 2, and 3 are similar views takenaxially through the machinebut showing the several parts thereof in different operating positions;

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the same; and 65 Figures 5, 6, and 7 aresections on lines 5 5, 6-6, and 7-7, respectively, of Figure 4.

The strip coiling machine selectedfor disclosure by way of example ismounted upon a base 10 of any suitable shape or construction. Sup- :70ported upon pedestals formingv portions of the base are cylindricalbearings 11 and 12, respectively, and these bearings in turn rotatablysupport a hollow cylindrical shaft or arbor 13 upon which is fixed apulley or gear 14 by means of 75 which it may be rotated. Beyond thebearing 12, shaft 13 is provided with a disc like enlargement or head 15upon which the various strip gripping and coil supporting members aremounted. These members will be hereinafter more spe- '80 cificallyreferred to. Beyond the opposite end of the hollow shaft 13 and in axialalignment therewith are two preferably coaxial cylinders 16 and 17respectively, these cylinders being separated by a dividing place 18having a central cylindri- 85 cal aperture 19. .A piston 20 in thatcylinder which is nearest the shaft 13 is provided with a piston rod 21extending through a packing gland in the cylinder end Wall and connectedby means of a swivel joint 22 with a spindle 23 extending 90 axiallythrough the cylindrical shaft 13 and being slidable longitudinallytherein.

Located Within cylinder 17, which cylinder is, as may be observed, oflarger diameter than cylinder 16, is a piston 24. Piston 24 carries acylin- 95 drical member 25 disposed axially thereof and extendingthrough and slidably engaging the cylindrical wall of aperture 19 in thedividing plate 18. Member 25 is of such length that, for all positionsof its operating piston 24, some portion 100 of it lies within thecylindrical aperture 19 and serves as means for blocking any flow offluid from one cylinder to another. The two extreme positions of piston24 may be observed from an inspection of Figures 1 and 3, from whichfigures 105 it appears that, when piston 24 is at one end of cylinder17, the member 25 projects into the cylinder 16 for a considerabledistance whereas, when piston 24 is at the opposite end of its stroke,member 25 projects a less distance into cylinder 16 or isvcompletelywithdrawn therefrom.

From an inspection of Figure 2, it will be observed that the end ofmember 25 is'cupped as at 26 so as to receive the end of piston rod 21,which passes entirely through piston 20, and also the nut 27 threadedthereon.

A fluid supply line is indicated at 30, this line being adapted to carryair, oil, or other suitable fluid under high pressure from a suitable.source of supply to the vicinity of the cylinders 16 and 17. A branchpipe 31 may be connected by means of a valve 32 with either conduit 33or conduit 34, these conduits leading to opposite ends of cylinder 16,respectively, so that fluid pressure may be built up within the cylinderupon either side of the piston as desired to effect movement thereof,the space on the opposite side of the pistonA being, by the samemovement of the valve, connected to a discharge pipe 35. By means of apipe 36 and a similar valve 37, fluid pressure may be built up in eitherend of cylinder 17 and the opposite end connected to a discharge pipe38. The pipes leading from valve 31 to the opposite ends of cylinder 17are indicated at 39 and 40, respectively.

Inasmuch as piston 24 is of larger diameter than piston 20, no eifortwhich may be developed by piston 20 under the influence of itspropelling fluid can overcome the elfort which piston 24 is capable ofexerting in the opposite direction (see Figure 2), and hence, when thevalves are positioned as shown in Figure 2, piston 20 is brought to afull and definite stop when it comes in contact with the annular end ofmember 25. It is thus halted in a predetermined position in its traveland cannot progress further, despite the pressure of fluid behind it,unless the fluid pressure behind piston 24 is relieved. When it isdesired to permit piston 20 to move toward the right to the full extentof its stroke, valve 37 is moved to the position in which it is shown inFigure 3, thus relieving the pressure behind piston 24 and building uppressure on the left-hand side of this piston, which promptly moves toits extreme position as shown in this figure. By the mechanismdescribed, piston rod 21 and spindle 23 may be given any one of threevery definite predetermined positions, two of these positions beingthose corresponding to the extreme movements of piston 20 and the thirdcorresponding to an intermediate position of piston 20. All of thisgreatly facilitates speed and ease and accuracy of operation of thestrip` coiling machine, as will be now pointed out.

The rotatable head 15 of the strip coiling apparatus carries threesegments indicated, respectively, at 40, 41, and 42, segment 40 beingintegral with a plate 43rigidly secured by bolts 44 to the head, Whereassegments 41 and 42 are secured respectively to radially disposed andslidably mounted supporting and guiding plates 45 and 46, respectively.Segments 41 and 42 may be so adjusted radially that the cylindricalsurfaces thereof are concentric with the cylindrical surface of segment40,' thus providing in effect a cylindrical drum, the surface of whichis interrupted at three points, and upon which the strip is adapted tobe coiled in the operation of th'e machine. Radial movements of segments41 and 42 are controlled by a pusherhead 50 secured to the end ofspindle 23, this pusher head having inclined faces which bearrespectively against correspondingly inclined faces of the segments,axial movement of the spindle to the right causing the pusher head towedge segments 41 and 42 outwardly to the positions shown in Figure 4.

A gripping member is indicated at 47, this member having a surfacedisposed parallel to the inner surface of stationary segment 40 so thatmovement thereof toward segment 40 will result in clamping of theleading edge of a strip lying therebetween. Gripping member 47 likewiseis provided with a guiding and supporting plate 48, which is retained inposition behind plate 43, and has an inwardly facing -inclined surfacewhich rests against a correspondingly inclined face lof the pusher head50. As a result of this arrangement, movement of the pusher head 50toward the right not only effects radial outward move- 'ment of segments41 and 42 but likewise effects outward movement of gripping member 47 sothat a blank, indicated at 49, and having its leading edge betweenmember 47 and drum segment 40, will be positively gripped between saidmembers, an insert 51 being provided if desired to insure properfrictional engagement between the gripping elements and the strip. Aswill be apparent from an inspection of Figure 5, outward movement ofplates 45 and 46 is limited by reason of the fact that the outer ends ofthese plates contact with the circumferential flange 15' of head 15.

When the various segments of the head and the gripper 47 are adjusted tothe positions in which they are shown in Figure 4, the machine is -inoperative position, and, upon rotation of shaft 13 by means of gear 14in the proper direction, the strip will be wound into a coil. When thecoiling of the strip has been completed, it is then necessary to removethe same from the machine. This is effected by moving pusher head 50 tothe left (Figure 1), thereby releasing segments 41, 42 for inward radialmovement and furthermore permitting the gripper 47 to release the end115 of the strip. Following this, the coiled strip is completely pushedoif of the several supporting segments by the pusher head, this headhaving three radial arms 52 which engage the inner face of the coil andcompletely thrust the same from the machine. The extreme left-handposition of the pusher head is shown in Figure 1.

After discharge of a wrapped coil, it is desired to repeat the operationas quickly as possible, and to'this end the pusher head is retracted. If125 the pusher head-'is retracted too far, however, the gripping member47 will be moved to aposition so close to the stationary segment 40 thatthe leading end of strip 49 cannot be inserted between these members. Topermit the operator to use fluid pressure in effecting movements of thepusher head, while at the same time preventing this excessive movementof the pusher head,

'the fluid pressure mechanism already described has been devised.

Thus, prior to retracting the pusher head after discharge of a coil, theoperator will move the piston 24 to its extreme left-hand position, asshown in Figure 1, thus establishing a limiting stop within cylinder 16for the movement of the piston 20. After this has been done, piston 20is moved to the right until -itl engages this stop, whereupon the partsare positioned as shown in Figure 2. Here the pusher arms 52 have beenretracted within the recess defined by flange 15', yet the pusherheadhas not been moved so far that vthe slot between the gripper 47 andthe stationary drum head 40 has been closed. The leading end of a strip49 then can be rapidly inserted. After the insertion of the end of sucha 15G strip, the pressure behind piston 24 can be relieved in the mannerheretofore described so that this piston moves to its right-hand extremeposition (Figure). Piston then moves to its right-hand position as shownin this same figure, and the strip is firmly gripped so that the coilingoperation may be immediately commenced thereafter.

It is believed that the advantages of the invention will be fullyunderstood from the foregoing description. It is obvious, of course,that by modifying the construction of the piston 24, in fact makingseveral concentric pistons, the

movements of the piston 20' may be interrupted at any one of a pluralityof intermediate points. Furthermore, it is not necessary to utilizepistons which diier in diameter if it is foundthat compressed air, oil,or the like can be had under different pressures so that it is possiblefor a, higher pressure of energizing uid to be introduced into cylinder17 than will be introduced into cylvinder 16. Other modifications andadaptations ing said blank gripping means, and uid pressure actuatedmeans for limiting the movement of said blank gripping means in onedirection at the will of the operator.

2. A coiling machine comprising in combina-v tion, means for grippingthe leading edge of a blank, mechanism including a piston working in acylinder for actuating said gripping means, and a fluid operated devicefor halting the movement of said piston intermediate the ends of itsstroke at' the will of the operator. 3. A coiling machine comprising incombination, blank gripping means, a cylinder, a piston in said cylinderconnected to said means, a second cylinder adjacent said rst cylinder, apiston in said second cylinder, a member connected to said second pistonand adapted to loe-projected thereby into said rst cylinder to limit themovement of the rst piston, and iluid pressure means for actuating saidpistons.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 in which the diameter of thesecond cylinder is greater than the diameter of the rst cylinder.

5. In a strip coiling machine, in combination, blank gripping mechanism,uid pressure actuated means for actuating said mechanism to grip ablank, and uid pressure actuated means for limiting the movement of saidmechanism in gripping direction, at the will of the operator.

ERIK W.MIKAELSON.

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